coup d'oeil

American  

[koo dœ-y^uh, koo dey] / ku ˈdœ yə, ˈku ˈdeɪ /

noun

French.

plural

coups d'oeil

1. a quick glance.

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coup d'oeil British  

/ ku dœj /

noun

1. a quick glance

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Etymology

Origin of coup d'oeil

First recorded in 1730–40; literally, “stroke of the eye”

Example Sentences

But what happened last week in Bangkok was not a coup d'�tat, nor even a coup de main, coup de Jarnac, coup de gr�ce, coup de maitre, coup de pied or a coup d'oeil.

From Time Magazine Archive

I say an attempt, for, to do justice to that ragged coup d’oeil is beyond the privilege of the pen.

From The Guerilla Chief And other Tales by Reid, Mayne

Such is the coup d’oeil presented by the shikarree.

From The Plant Hunters Adventures Among the Himalaya Mountains by Reid, Mayne

It was a costume that seemed well-suited to her striking beauty, and the effect of the coup d’oeil upon the heart of poor Tiburcio was at once pleasant and embarrassing.

From Wood Rangers The Trappers of Sonora by Reid, Mayne

The coup d'oeil is really picturesque; the rays of the setting sun, which struck the waters obliquely as we passed, heightened exceedingly their beauty, and rendered it worthy of a pencil more skilful than mine.

From Narrative of a Voyage to the Northwest Coast of America in the years 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814 or the First American Settlement on the Pacific by Franchere, Gabriel